Google Buys Email Client Sparrow to Boost Gmail

Google has acquired iOS and OS X email client Sparrow. Though a sale price hasn't been officially disclosed, The Verge reported the price tag was "under $25 million." Sparrow works on iPhone and iPad devices and Mac computers, using simplified interfaces of Twitter clients such as Tweetie or iOS apps as opposed to more traditional email style applications such as Apple Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird. Specifics of how Google will use Sparrow have yet to be announced but it is thought that the client will help boost its Gmail service and see an improved native email client to compete with Apple Mail. "The Sparrow team has always put their users first by focusing on building a seamlessly simple and intuitive interface for their email client," said a Google spokesperson. "We look forward to bringing them aboard the Gmail team, where they'll be working on new projects." Sparrow's ...